Radio clock



Nov. 7, 1939. M. D. YORK 2,178,946

RADIO CLOCK Filed-April 6 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Nam 7 19390 D. YQRK 2178 946 RADIO CLOCK Filed. April 6, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M12 "ZZ 9.9

Mimi 1 5123:

WITNESS ATTORNEYS Nova 7, 19390 M. D. YORK 2,178.94b

RADIO CLOCK Filed April 6, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 7, 1939. M 1 "YORK 2,178,946

RADIO CLOCK Filed April 6, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 55 66 7/ I 9 7%5221070276 fl 1 0 7 713,

INVENTOR 0 BY m fwvr I I WITNESS ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 7, 1939 PATENT OFFICE RADIO CLOCK Marvin D. York, Marlow, Ky., assignor of onehalf to Reual 0. Thomas and wife Flossie G.

Thomas, Marlow, Ky.

Application April 6, 1938, Serial No. 200,508

7 Claims.

This invention relates to radio clocks and has for its principal object to provide in connection with a clock for use as an ordinary time piece, either as an external adjunct or built into the radio cabinet, means in addition to and cooperative with the clock mechanism to take the place of the regular on and oif" switch of a radio for automatically rendering the radio operative or inoperative at a desired set time.

In Another object is to utilize an ordinary alarm clark mechanism without material alteration e therein in the adaptation of the radio switch operating and controlling means thereto.

A further object is to provide a mechanism 115 which may be operated manually, at will, as well as automatically.

With these and other objects to be attained, the invention consists in the novel general Structure and parts and combinations and arrange- 20 ments of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention, and in which- 25 Figure l is a front elevation of the clock case and the exposed parts of the structure;

Figure 2 is a right side elevation;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through the clock case and 30 the interior mechanism;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken at right angles to the section shown in Figure 3 illustrating details of the switch gear and the setting gears viewed from the rear;

5 Figure 5 is a fragmentary face view, on an enlarged scale, showing details of the clock dial face and dial of the switch setting mechanism, together with-certain of the gears associated with the switch setting mechanism;

40 Figure 6 is a horizontal section showing portions of the winding mechanism and operating gearing for the switch controlling mechanism;

Figure '7 is a detail of the on and oil controlling lever;

45 Figure 8 is a view showing the switch gear actuated to the "01 5 position;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view and partial section showing the relation of the switch gear to the terminal contact elements of the on and 50 off circuit of the radio; and

Figure 10 is a detail view of the releasable latch and star wheel of the on and off switch controlling mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings the numeral i5 55 designates an ou er casi g o t i i g he clock mechanism and the radio switch operating and controlling mechanism to be hereinafter described, said casing having a back closure plate I6 on which is mounted two terminal posts ll, l8, which are suitably insulated from each other 5 and from said plate l6 and have respectively attached thereto wires l9 and which are ex tensions of the usual circuit Wires that are connected to the regular on and oiT switch of a radio and in place of which the mechanism of the 10 present invention is substituted.

Mounted on the upper portion of a rear plate member 2! which is a part of the supporting frame of the clock mechanism to which the particular elements of the present invention are 15 adapted and applied, is a bracket 22 of suitable insulation material, said bracket having a pair of circuit terminal elements 23 attached thereto, said elements 23 being preferably in the form of resilient tongues or brushes extending in parallel 2 relation to each other and having opposed contact buttons 24 on their outer end portions and being provided at their inner ends with outturned angular extensions 25 which are apertured for the reception of securing bolts 26, 21, which 25 latter, in addition to securing the elements 23 to the block 22, afford means of attachment for wires 28, 29, which are respectively connected to said terminal posts ll, l8.

Interposed between the two terminal tongue or brush elements 23 is a gear 30 having on its opposite sides a pair of annular insulation elements 36, which latter, as shown in Figure 7, are connected at four diametrically opposite points by necks 32 of insulation material, said neck portions 32 extending through apertures provided therefor in the adjacent body portions of the gear and having bores therethrough whereby they are, in efiect, insulating bushings in which are located electric conducting studs 33 having fiat-faced circular head portions at their opposite ends which are countersunk into the faces of the said insulation rings 3|. The opposed contact buttons 24 on said resilient terminal elements 23 bear normally against the opposite sides of the 4,5 gear 30, either upon the faces of the insulating rings 30 or the end faces of the studs 33, and whereby the operating circuit for the radio is either opened or closed through the wire connections i9, 20, 28 and 29, depending upon the I position of the gear 30 when the latter is brought to rest as will presently more fully appear.

Hingedly mounted on an upper shelf portion 38 of the front plate member 35 of the frame which supports the clock mechanism, is a substantially T-shaped lever 36 whose transverse head portion 3! extends equally on opposite sides of its pivot 38 and has a latch arm 39 pivotally attached thereto at one end, as at 40, and a similar latch arm 4| pivoted, as at 42, to its opposite end. Said arms 39 and 4| are connected by a spring 43 which normally urges them toward each other and respectively into contact with stop pins 44, 45 across which said arms 39 and 4| slide into and out of engaging relation to said gear 30 by rocking the lever 36 on its pivot 38.

The gear 36 is, provided with a plurality of spokes 46, preferably four, as shown, connecting its hub,and rim portions in diametrical alignment with the contact studs 33, and, in this connection, the pivotal arm 39 of the lever 36 is of such length that its outer end portion is moved into the path in which said spokes 46 travel when the gear 38 is rotated, so that in one position of the lever 36, as shown more clearly in Figure 7, said gear 36 is arrested in its rotative movement by the engagement of one of the spokes 46 with said arm 39. In the'reverse position of the lever 36 the arm 39 is retracted so that its outer end portion is clear of the spokes 46, and said gear 36 would ordinarily be free to rotate, but it is provided with four radial lugs 41 which are disposed inwardly from the rim of the gear 30 in diametrical opposed relation to each other and staggered or alternately disposed annularly between said spokes 46, said lugs 41 being off-set laterally out of the plane of the spokes 46, and are engageable with the outer end portion of the arm 4| of said lever 36, which latter is relatively shorter than said-arm 39, but moves into the path of said lugs 41 before the other arm 39 releases theengaged spoke 46, that is to say, one or the other of said arms 39 or 4| is at all times in engaging relation to said gear 38.

By the foregoing provision and arrangement of the pivotal arms 39, 46, and the wheel spokes 46 and lug members 41, the gear 38 is selectively stopped in its rotation by the manipulation of said lever 36 and the circuit through the members 23 and respective connecting wires to the radio is thereby closed and opened, at will.

The stem portion of said lever 36 is projected through a slot 48 in the front wall of the case l5 and provided at its outer end with a suitable knob 49, and, to indicate the proper circuit opening and closing positions of said lever 36, "off and on legends are obviously indicated at opposite ends of said slot 48.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, said gear 30 is a part of the conventional alarm mechanism of the clock and when released from engagement with either of the pivotal arms 39 and 4| of said lever member 36, is set in rotative motion by the timed release of said alarm mechanism, which latter will be now generally described.

As shown, the alarm mechanism comprises a main shaft 50 on which a winding gear 5| is loosely mounted rotatably but held against endwise movement, said gear being in cooperative circumferential engaging relation to a reciprocatory rack bar 52 having a knob 53 on its outer end by which said bar is moved inwardly and out- Wardly, and by the engagement of its rack teeth with the gear 5| imparts an oscillatory movement to said gear. The gear having a pawl 53' yieldably held in engagement with a ratchet wheel 54 fixed on the shaft 50, said shaft is rotated in one direction to wind a spring located in the barrel 55 about the shaft 58, as in the usual winding means of the alarm mechanism of a clock, said spring (not shown) being obviously attached to the barrel and shaft so that the latter is driven under the power of the reactive spring, in the usual manner when the alarm mechanism is released.

For the purposes of the present invention, shaft 50 is provided with a gear 56 which meshes with an intermediate gear 51, which latter in turn meshes with the gear 36 and effects the rotation of the latter upon the retraction of either the arm 39 or 4|, as the case may be, and until said gear is arrested in its rotative movement by its engagement with the opposite pivotal arm as hereinbefore described.

To normally look the shaft 50 against rotation, it is provided with a gear 58 which is fixed thereon to rotate therewith, said gear 58 meshing with a pinion 59 fixed on a shaft 68 and having a star wheel 6| fixed thereto and which is engaged by a dog 62 formed by tapering the down-turned rebent portion 63 at the upper end of a spring tongue 64 which is riveted to the outer face of the frame plate 35, as at 65, said portion 63 work ing through a slot in said plate 35 and said dog 62 being urged laterally out of the space between an adjacent pair of the pointed teeth of said star wheel 6| (see Figure 10) but is normally held in engagement with said star Wheel 6| by the end engagement of a hub portion 66 of a gear 61 with member 64, so that, when said gear 18 is rotated in one direction on said shaft 69, the pin 68 rides out of a notch H in the end of said outer hub portion 66 and up an inclined lead to the end face of the hub, whereby said gear 6'! is moved endwise inwardly against said member 64 and the dog 62 at the end of said member 64 engages between a pair of the peripheral teeth of said star wheel 6| and is thereby retained until the notch H again comes into position to receive the pin 68.

The gear 18 meshes circumferentially with and is movable longitudinally in relation to an idler pinion 12 which has a gear 13 fixed thereto and rotatable therewith, said gear 13 meshing with a pinion 14 which is fixed on the shaft 15 which carries the minute hand 16 of the clock. By this arrangement the gear 18 rotates at the same speed as a gear 11 fixed on a sleeve 11', which latter is rotatable on the shaft 15 and carries the hour hand 18.

To set the controlling mechanism for the timed release of the dog 62 from the star wheel 6| 2. setting shaft 19 is provided, said shaft having a knob 88 on its outer end portion outside the front wall of the case l5 and just below the regular clock dial 8|, said shaft 19 having a ratchet 82 fixed on its inner end portion just inside of the rear plate I6. Said ratchet engages a pawl 83 located on the inner face of said plate l6 whereby the shaft 19 may be rotated only in one direction. Fixed on said shaft 19 to rotate with the ratchet 82 is a gear 84 which meshes with a similar gear 85 fixed on said hereinbefore mentionedshaft 69, and said shaft 69 has on its forward end portion a gear 86 which meshes with a gear 81 rotatable about a hub portion 88 of a collar 89, on which latter the dial 8| issecured at its central portion, preferably by the same screw elements or bolts 89' by which said hub portion 88 is attached to a bracket frame 96 on the front frame plate 35.

Secured to the outer face of the gear 81, as by the screws 9| is a circular plate 92 which is located just behind the. dial 8| and has an annular dial band 93 on its outer face at the periphery thereof, said band 93 being divided into twelve equal spaces, the division lines 94 thereof being respectively numbered 1 to 12 inclusive, and indicating hours, and said spaces being subdivided and the division lines thereof being respectively marked to indicate quarter hours, that ,is to say, the several sub-dividing lines 95 are respectively marked 15, 30 and 45, meaning minutes.

The annular dial portion 93 of said disc 92 is covered throughout its extent by the outer stationary dial 8| except for an upper portion of the latter in which a sector shaped opening 96 is provided (see Figures 1 and 5), said opening 96, as shown, being of a length sufficient to expose two adjacent hour numerals of said dial 93, and at the middle of said opening 96 is a substantially V-shaped frame 91, the apex 98 of which coincides with the uppermost division mark of the clock dial 8I indicating the hour .12". The set time reading of said dial 93 is through the V-shaped frame 91, that is to say, the disc 92 is turned until the particular character on the annular dial 93 indicating the time set for releasing the switch gear actuating means for starting or stopping radio operation is brought into register with the opening of the V-shaped frame 91. For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the time set is 36 minutes past 2 oclock, the numeral 30 indicating minutes being exposed within said frame 91 and the numeral 2 indicating the hour being exposed in the opening to the left of said frame 91. By the same token if the release of the switch gear actuating means is to occur on the hour, say 2 oclock, the hour number 2 is set in the frame 91.

By turning the knob 86 the shaft 19 is correspondingly rotated. and through the train of gears just above described, the shaft 69 is rotated and the gear 86 thereon being in mesh with the gear 81 to which the dial plate 92 is attached, said plate 92 is thereby rotated until the number on the dial 93 indicating the time for which switch gear 36 is to be operated is brought into register with .the frame 91 at the middle of the opening 96 in the clock dial 8I. During this actuation of the dial plate 92 the spring member 64 is held inwardly with its dog portion 62 in engagement with the star wheel 6| unless the gear 61 has been rotated to bring the notch H of the hub portion 66 into position to receive the pin 68 on the shaft 69 and permit the member 64 to swing outwardly and retract the dog 62 from said star wheel 6I, said gear 16 rotating in synchronism with the gear 11 which drives the hour hand, as hereinbefore described. Thus, in turning the shaft 69 after setting the dial disc 92, as just above described, the engagement of the pin 69 on said shaft 69 by the notched portion H of the hub 66 of said gear 61 occurs at the set time, and upon the release of the dog 62 from said star wheel 6I the train of gearing between the motor spring 55 and said switch gear 36 is unlocked, whereupon said gear 36 is rotated until arrested either by the engagement of one of its spoke members 46 with the pivotal arm 39 of said lever element 36 or by engagement of one of its lugs 41 with the other arm 4| of said lever member 36, said lever member, of course, having been selectively positioned by manipulation of the knob 49.

To manually release the dog 62 from the star wheel 6I in order to operate the switch gear 36 before the time set for its automatic operation a hereinabove described, the lever 36 is provided with a longitudinal plunger member 99 which is extended through the knob portion 49 and is provided on its outer end with a knob I66, the inner end portion of said plunger 99 being turned angularly, as at I6I, and engaged in an arcuate slot I62 provided in a lug I63 at the upper end of a lever I64, which latter is pivotally mounted in a bracket I65 on the outer face of the frame plate 35, said lever I64 having a laterally off-set lower end portion I66 which projects between the outer face of the plate 35 and the adjacent upper portion of said spring member 64 which carries the dog 62. This lever member I64 is normally pressed by a spring I61 which urges its upper portion outwardly and it lower portion inwardly with the off-set I66 in contact with the plate 35, in which position of the lever I64 the plunger element 99 is longitudinally movable outwardly on the lever 36 and said lever 36 is swingable on its pivot 36 without interference because the angular extension I6I of said plunger 99 is free to oscillate in the arcuate slot I62 in the lug I63 of said lever I64. By this provision the lever 36 may be moved in either of its two positions for arresting the switch gear 36 in its rotation, and

in either position of said lever 36 the plunger element 99 may be moved inwardly by pressing the knob I66 and thereby rock the lever I64 and retract the dog 62 from the star wheel 6I.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the lever 36 may be set to stop the switch gear 36 in either circuit-closing or circuit-breaking relation to the two terminal contact elements 23 and the operation of said switch gear 36 prior to such selective stopping of the gears rotation which is automatically accomplished at the desired time by accordingly setting the plate 92 to locate the proper number on the dial portion 93 in relation to the V-shaped frame 91 of the sight opening in the clock dial 8 I. That is to say, the device of the present invention may be set so that the radio will automatically start at a certain time and remain in operative condition until it is turned off by hand, or by reversing the controlling lever 36 and starting the radio by hand after setting the dial plate 92 for the time desired to stop operation, it will continue to operate until such set time and the switch gear 36 is arrested by engagement of one of its lugs 41 with the arm 4| of said lever 36 and the terminal members 23 are in contact with the opposite insulated portions 3I of said gear 36.

The regular clock mechanism will now be described. As shown, there is a reciprocatory rack bar I66 having a knob I69 at its outer end for its manipulation, said rack bar I68 being engageable with a gear IIO which carries a pawl III in engagement with a ratchet II2 fixed on a shaft II3 for winding a spring (not shown) in the barrel H4 and by which a gear H5 is rotated to drive a pinion H6 which drives the minute hand shaft 15 through a suitable friction clutch H6 between said pinion I I6 and said shaft 15, which latter, as hereinbefore described, carries the minute hand 16 and through the medium of the sleeve 11' and the described train of gearing between said sleeve 11' and shaft 15, drives the hour hand 18, all as in the ordinary conventional clock mechanism.

A conventional setting mechanism for the clock hands is illustrated in the drawings as comprising a knob II1 on a shaft II8, said knob II1 being located outside the front wall of the case I5 and just below the clock dial 8I in substantially the same plane as but to the left of the knob 80 of the setting mechanism for the operation and control of the switch gear 30. The shaft I I8 is mounted to reciprocate endwise as well as rotate about its axis, and its rear end portion is extended beyond the rear plate I6 of the case I5, where it is provided with awasher H9 and a retaining cross-pin I20, said washer being engaged by an elongated leaf spring element I2I secured at its upper end to the plate I6, as at I22, and yielda'bly holding the shaft H8 in its normal retracted position as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 6. This shaft II8 has a gear I23 fixed thereon and in mesh with a flanged gear I24 which is mounted on a shaft I25 longitudinally slidable in the rear frame plate 2I of the clock mechanism and the back plate I6 of the clock case, said shaft I25 having its outer end in abutting relation tothe spring element I2I, and a spring I26 being sleeved on the inner end portion of said shaft I25 and interposed between the frame plate 2I and the front face of said gear I24. The gear I24 is normally located rearward ofv and out of mesh with a gear I21 fixed on the rear end portion of the minute hand shaft 15 but is adapted to engage said gear I21 when the shaft H8 is pulled forwardly by grasping the knob H1 and thereby retracting the spring element I2I, which latter,

in turn, moves the engaged shaft I25 forwardly and brings the gear I24 into mesh with said gear I21, over-travel of the gear I24 being prevented by the circumferential fiange I24 of said gear I24 engaging the adjacent peripheral portion of said gear I21. With the gears thus engaged the shaft- H8 is rotated by the means of the knob H1 in either direction and the shaft 15 is ac- .cordingly rotated to effect the setting of the minute hand 16 and hour hand 18.

To limit the outward movement of the ratchet bars .52 and I08 which operate the respective winding gears SI and III], said bars are preferably provided at their inner ends with laterally projecting studs- I28 which may come in contact with the ends of guide brackets I29 provided for the rack bars on the rear frame plate 2I beneath said gears 5I and III). Also, to resist the upward thrust of the lugs 41 of the switch gear 30 when said lugs come in contact with the pivotal arm M of the switch lever 36, the shelf 34 of the frame plate 35 which supports the lever 36 is provided with a guiding and retaining clip I30 which overhangs said pivotal arm 4|.

Obviously, the structure admits of considerable modification within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims; Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific construction and arrangements shown in the accompanying drawings.

What is claimed is:

1. In a radio starting and stopping control, a clock mechanism including an ordinary time train and controlling means therefor, a switch gear driving train including a releasable latch device and means coordinated with the time train and adapted to be set selectively for the release of said latch device automatically at a predetermined time, and circuit closing means for controlling the starting and stopping of operation of a radio, said means including a rotatable element having an annular contact surface portion of electrical non-conductivity generally throughout, a series of contact spots of electrical conductivity at intervals throughout the circular extent of said non-electric surface contact portion, an electrical circuit terminal element in contact with said rotatable element, and manually operable means for stopping rotation of said rotatable element in relation to said terminal element.

2. In a radio clock, a switch including a gear having annularly arranged alternate conductive and non-conductive electrical portions on its opposite faces, a pair of circuit terminal elements engaging said gear on opposite sides thereof for contact with said electrical conductive and nonconductive portions of the gear, means for selectively stopping operation of said gear, said means including a lever having extensions of different length and said gear having different annularly arranged correlated lever engaging portions, a clock mechanism having a regular time train, a normally locked switch gear operating train, and means cooperatively associated with said regular time train and said gear operating train whereby to selectively release the locking means for the gear operating train at a predetermined time.

3. In a radio starting and stopping control, an electrical circuit switch including a pair of terminal contact members, a rotatable element located between said terminal members, said rotatable element having an annular surface on opposite sides ofnon-electric conductivity, a series of cross-connected electrical contact spots at intervals throughout said annular non-elec 'tric surfaces, stop members on said rotatable element respectively correlated to said electrical and non-electrical surface portions of the element, a manually operable on and off switch element having engaging portions movable alternately into and out of the path of said stop members of the rotatable element, a clock mechanism for actuating said rotatable circuit switch element, said clock mechanism including a releasable latch for the driving means thereof for said rotatable element, and means selectively set in coordination with the time train of the clock mechanism for automatically releasing the latch of the driving means for said rotatable switch element.

4. In a radio starting and stopping control, an electrical circuit switch including a pair of terminal contact members, a rotatable element located between said terminal members, said rotatable element having an annular surface on opposite sides of non-electric conductivity, a series of cross-connected electrical contact spots at intervals throughout said annular non-electric surfaces, stop members on said rotatable element respectively correlated to said electrical and nonelectrical surface portions of the element, a manually operable on and off switch element having engaging portions movable alternately into and out of the path of said stop members of the rotatable element, a clock mechanism for actuating said rotatable circuit switch element, said clock mechanism including a releasable latch for the driving means thereof for said rotatable element, means selectively set in coordination with the time train of the clock mechanism for automaticaly releasing the latch of the driving means for said rotatable switch element, and manually operable means coordinated with said manually operable on and oif switch element for releasing said latch.

5. In a clock mechanism for controlling the starting and stopping of radio operation, a circuit switch including a pair of cooperable ter minal elements and an interposed switch gear provided on its opposite sides with alternate annular electrical and non-electrical contact portions successively engageable with said terminal elements, a driving train for said switch gear coordinated with the time train of the clock mechanism, a releasable locking device for said driving train, setting means for releasing said switch gear driving train at a pre-determined time, said means including a dial located in correlation to the regular clock dial, said latch release setting means dial being covered by the regular clock dial and having the set indicating portion exposed through an opening provided therefor in said regular clock dial, and a manually operable on and off switch lever for selectively stopping rotation of said switch gear in position with relation to said circuit terminal members to either open or close the circuit.

6. In a clock mechanism for controlling the starting and stopping of radio operation, a pair of circuit terminal members, an interposed rotatable switch gear having spokes connecting its hub and rim portions, and radial lugs extending inwardly from its rim portion and oil-set laterally from the plane of the spokes of the gear, said gear having annularbands of non-electric conductivity on its opposite sides and cross-connecting studs of electrical conductivity and having their opposite end faces exposed through the surface of said annular non-electric bands, said studs being insulated from each other and from the gear body, a manually operable on and off switch having oppositely disposed arms one of which is movable into the path of the spokes of the switch gear, and the other into the path of said lug portions of the gear by the alternate operation of said on and ofi switch whereby to stop the gear in relation to said circuit terminal members to open or close the circuit, at will, time controlled means coordinated with the regular clock time train for rotating said switch gear, and releasable locking means for the switch gear driving means having provision for the manual setting thereof and automatic release at the set time.

'7. In a clock mechanism for controlling the starting and stopping of radio operation, a pair of circuit terminal members, an interposed rotatable switch gear having spokes connecting its hub and rim portions, and radial lugs extending inwardly from its rim portion and oil-set laterally from the plane of the spokes of the gear, said gear having annular bands of non-electric conductivity on its opposite sides and cross-connecting studs of electrical conductivity and having their opposite end faces exposed through the surface of said annular non-electric bands, said studs being insulated from each other and from the gear body, a manually operable on and off switch having oppositely disposed arms one of which is movable into the path of the spokes of the switch gear, and the other into the path of said lug portions of the gear by the alternate operation of said on and off switch whereby to stop the gear in relation to said circuit terminal members to open or close the circuit, at will, time controlled means coordinated with the regular clock time train for rotating said switch gear, releasable locking means for the switch gear driving means having provision for the manual setting thereof and automatic release at the set time, and means associated with the on and off switch for manually releasing the driving means for said switch gear.

MARVIN D. YORK. 

